New York Knicks (42-23) beat Denver Nuggets (39-25) 142-103 on the road on Friday, March 6. The final margin was 39 points.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Nuggets had the better start, winning the first 29-27 to lead by 2 after one. The Knicks moved in front with a 38-23 second quarter, carrying a 13-point lead into halftime.
The Knicks won the third 40-28 to create some separation, taking a 25-point lead into the fourth. The Knicks took the fourth 37-23; the Knicks finished the job for a 142-103 regulation win.
Why it was lopsided
The Knicks grabbed 37.8% of their own misses, while the Nuggets recovered 18.2%. The Knicks got more from their shots, finishing at 66.3% effective field-goal shooting compared with 49.4% for the Nuggets. The second chances kept adding up.
The Nuggets did win one battle, the free-throw line: FT rate of 25.3 against 16.8. The Knicks made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 102 possessions per team, the Knicks produced 139.6 points per 100 possessions to 101.3 for the Nuggets.
The Knicks' reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 55-35.
Who stood out
OG Anunoby was the game's biggest individual force for NYK: 34 pts, 7 reb, 5 ast, 4 stl on 11-17 shooting. His Game Score of 37.6 led everyone. His team was +17 with him on the floor.
Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets with 38 pts, 8 reb, 5 ast on 14-21 shooting, good for a 33.4 Game Score.
Karl-Anthony Towns (17 pts, 13 reb, 2 ast) recorded a double-double.
What it means
The pre-game Win Meter had it close to a coin flip, at about 45% for the Knicks.
Across the last 3 meetings in our records, New York Knicks lead 3-0.
The Knicks are now 42-23, and the Nuggets are 39-25. The Knicks last five before this game: L-W-W-W-L.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.